


A Mirror Cracked

by KtwoNtwo



Series: The Emperor's Edge Collection [7]
Category: The Emperor's Edge Series - Lindsay Buroker
Genre: Cross-posted from EE Forum, F/M, Mission Fic, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 11:54:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1303969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KtwoNtwo/pseuds/KtwoNtwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world of espionage can make strange bedfellows.  When an older Sicarius runs into someone from his past while on a mission sparks fly both literally and figuratively.  A sequel to "In a Mirror Dimly"</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Mirror Cracked

**Author's Note:**

> This should stand on its own but some of the references will make more sense if you've read "In a Mirror Dimly" first.
> 
> Standard Disclaimer: The characters and other information from the Emperor’s Edge series and all rights thereto belong to Lindsay Buroker. I’m only playing around with them for my own amusement and you, the reader's, enjoyment.

The Countess Katerina Norian, also known in some circles as Argonelle, sat on the balcony of her country residence drinking tea and wondering who would be sent to kill her next. It had been five years since she’d been appointed to the post of spymaster for the Kendorian state. The occasional assassination attempt just came with the territory and she had expected it. In fact, her mentor and former boss Xenon had given her some rather specific and pointed advice regarding the detection and elimination of potential outside threats. What he hadn’t done was give her any guidance about what to do when the internal political game started being played with knives, both figuratively and literally. Luckily she’d had experience with that in her rise through the ranks of the espionage community. Thus, she hadn’t been terribly worried about the attempts to impact her credibility and undermine her authority. Those were easily averted by judicious use of information from her private files. No it was the series of “accidents” and that alleged Nurian assassin that had her implementing her exit strategy.

It had all started last fall just after one of the major shifts that occasionally occurred in the Kendorian political hierarchy. This particular group of new politicians was somewhat more conservative that the previous batch and she hadn’t thought much of it except to set in motion her normal information gathering so she’d know just who and what type of folks she’d be dealing with. After the initial set of feints and probes back and forth she’d expected the new governmental elite to settle down and let her do her job. But that had not happened. This batch had stubbornly continued to attempt to use the intelligence department for their own personal projects. When she had made it clear that she wouldn’t jeopardize the cover of agents in the field just because Baron Whomever happened to have a business interest he wished to advance the personal attacks had started. It had commenced with rumor mongering and attempted subversion of authority then eventually escalated to an outright blackmail attempt.

After she’d adverted the blackmail attempt Katrina had fully expected to be asked, politely, to retire to her country estate for a “well deserved rest”. Historically that had been the way most Kendorian spymasters had exited the job and she would have been perfectly amenable to doing just that. Kendorians were civilized after all, unlike the Turgonian Empire where changes in the intelligence establishment inevitably involved leaving horizontally in a pine box. She’d been very surprised when instead of a retirement invitation a high level political functionary had asked her to assist in ferreting out the conduit for leaks of sensitive information. Of course, hindsight being ever so accurate, it had only been a ruse to get most of her best loyal assets tied up chasing wild geese.

The first incident had occurred shortly thereafter, in early spring, and at the time she hadn’t even interpreted it as an attack. Her office door simply fell off, almost crushing her, when she pulled to open it. Given the building’s age and the fact that it had been increasingly sticky for a week she had chalked it up to normal wear and tear. The second incident made her reevaluate. A vial of stun gas laced with a slow acting inhaled poison had been left open in a meeting room she had been scheduled to use. Unfortunately that had killed one of her better field agents who, in typical paranoid field agent style, had arrived early to scope out the room before the meeting. At that point Katrina started acting as if her job were an infiltration assignment. It had been rather strange playing herself as _spymaster acting normally_ all the while using all the considerable tradecraft she’d developed over the years to attempt to determine exactly who was after her and why.

The next incident involved two poisoned crossbow bolts that were shot out of the dark at her on her way home. She would have been hit if she’d reacted like a normal bureaucrat and hesitated before diving for the nearest cover. Fortunately, the assassin had either not been informed that she was a former field agent or if so had not counted on her keeping up her skill set. Once clear of the field of fire she had continued in her self-assigned role and reacted just as if the attempt had been from an outside source. It was what was expected of the spymaster in this sort of situation after all. That resulted in the city guard cornering an alleged Nurian assassin who oh so conveniently expired while resisting arrest before agents personally loyal to her could get to him.

Even before the third attempt Katerina had determined that only members of the new political regime had the motive, means and opportunity to set up her permanent removal from the spymaster position. This was confirmed by her investigation into the Nurian assassin incident. Unfortunately, despite all her digging she hadn’t found any direct evidence that could conclusively tie any particular person or group of people to the attempts. It was all random bits of seemingly unrelated information that her intuition and experience lead her to infer the potential culprits. Her digging also uncovered information that the “new politicos,” as she liked to think of them, had placed sympathetic supporters in most every portion of the government, including the intelligence department. She had also managed to positively identify at least the some of the supporters. Without exception, these people had been well in place for years prior to the change in power which had made her think that her violent removal was merely part of a long-term plan.

One of many things that she had learned from her field experience was to always have an exit strategy and to not be afraid to use it. If she had correctly predicted the next move in the game it would provide her the perfect opportunity to implement her plan. This, of course, was why she was _hiding” and “rusticating_ at her country house. She was officially giving the department _time to implement new security measures_ in light of the assassination attempt. In reality, she was _playing bait_.

After four days of acting _normally_ Katerina was beginning to wonder how soon the new politicos would make their move. Had her running off to the fortified country estate surprised them? It shouldn’t have. It was standard protocol in the department to remove the high level target from the capitol after an attempt while the inevitable security review and revision was underway. Were they now scrambling to set up another assassination attempt with the people they had already in place or were they importing another asset from some other department or agency? No, probably not. Even at her best on a simple in and out retrieval mission she would often take more than a week to scope out the area, learn the routines and set up her contingency protocols. The earliest the attempt would come would be tonight. More likely it would be later in the week. It would all depend upon just who got tapped to do the deed. Of the names she knew there were two obvious potential candidates. Of the two she hoped it was Mara rather than Hector. That would make implementing her exit strategy much more straightforward.

By night six Katerina was getting antsy. She never had liked stakeouts all that much. That was why she had enjoyed the infiltration jobs. On those she had called the shots. Any waiting she did was waiting for opportunity as opposed to waiting in a defensive mode for something to happen. Lying in her bed each night dressed in her _working_ clothes staring at the ceiling until she fell into a light sleep was getting old fast.

The very next night Katerina came completely awake when the ring on her little finger gave a series of tingly shocks that indicated an exterior house door or window had been opened. Silently she slipped out of bed, leaving the extra pillows in the rough shape of a sleeping body. Moving quickly she used the window sill and curtain rod to climb on top of the heavy armoire. She then armed herself with the knives and small crossbow she had placed there earlier in the week and settled down to wait.

A few minutes later there was a double tingle from the ring. The outside door to her suite had been opened. Ah, a simple direct plan then. Walk in, do it and exit. That was more Mara’s style. However, there had been two distinct shocks from the ring initially. Two different entrances or just one opened, then closed then opened again just slightly to provide a quick exit? She’d have to be fast if there were two assassins.

From her vantage point on the top of the armoire Katerina could see the door to her room slowly start to open. Here we go, she thought as she regulated her breathing and prepared to fire as soon as she had a clear shot at the intruder.

The door opened just enough for a small figure to step inside. Katerina fired and the crossbow bolt smacked into the door jam just where the figure’s head had been a moment before. But the figure hadn’t ducked. No, it had fallen after she had fired but before the crossbow bolt had made it across the room. What? Who? she thought. It was clear from the position of the fallen figure that it was dead. She quickly sat down the crossbow and grabbed a throwing knife. Only someone with _erkt mahlay_ , that rare talent for striking as a viper without hesitation, could have killed the intruder so fast. So where had the killing blow come from? Furiously calculating angles and lines of sight based upon the door and the way the body had fallen Katrina concluded that the unknown killer was behind the half open door to the bathing room. Shards, she thought, I won’t get a clear shot unless and until the killer comes out. I can’t reload the crossbow. That would take too long and the noise would most likely give my position away. So how to get that other person out of the bathing room? Thinking about noise and positioning, Katerina suddenly had an idea that just might work.

Throwing your voice was primarily a matter of distraction. It was a combination of fooling the brain and the ear into thinking that a sound came from one place when it really came from another. The acoustics of the room also had a lot to do with it as well as the tendency for humans to assume that sounds of the same degree of loudness came from the same place. Katerina reached with her off hand and grabbed one of the loose daggers. She carefully lobbed it onto the bed, up near the headboard where its landing would not be seen from the bathing room door. It made a small rustle, as if someone were shifting on the bed. She’d have to pitch this just right.

“Come out, come out whomever you are,” she said softly.

For a moment there was no response and then a voice that she remembered but had never expected to ever hear again said “Truce?” in Turgonian.

If Katerina had been standing she would have fallen off the top of the armoire in sheer surprise. As it was she had to stifle a gasp. It sounded like Sicarius, the Turgonian asset that she’d run into in Port Rochelle some fifteen years earlier. Since that time she’d kept track of him and his _career_. She’d even come across evidence of his w _ork_ a couple of times in the field. After she’d been appointed spymaster she’d found that Xenon had a rather extensive set of files on most of the top foreign assets, including him. His name was one of several on an exclusive list where any information, no matter how insignificant, was forwarded directly to the spymaster. The most recent information about him had been somewhat confusing. For some reason the Turgonians had let Sicarius become publically identified not only as an assassin but also as directly connected with several high profile killings. The public reports seemed to imply a break with the Emperor’s service but Katerina had definitive information that this was not the case. At the time Katerina had wondered what game exactly Hollowcrest had been playing.

Was it really him? If so why was he here now? Well she wouldn’t get any information without starting a conversation. “Really?” she replied also in Turgonian putting a bit of skepticism in her tone.

“Porcupines,” came the flat statement from behind the bathing room door.

It was Sicarius! All those years ago breaking out of the basement of Lord Ravencrest’s estate she’d characterized their nascent cooperation as being akin to a pair of amorous porcupines. She lost it and snorted a half laugh then answered “Truce.”

The bathing room door started to move then, slowly swinging completely open. He wasn’t standing in the door of course. She could have been lying about the truce but she could barely see a slightly darker patch of man shaped shadow half concealed by the doorway itself. He was giving her an opportunity without risking too much. Prudent. He’d also deduced, probably from her last statement, her approximate location in the room. She quickly secured the loose knives about her person then tossed the crossbow onto the bed before dropping off the top of the armoire.

As she moved Katerina was thinking furiously. Do I talk first or just do what I need to do? She quickly decided that setting up the scene quickly was more important. I don’t know how much time I have, she thought. It will all depend on whether the assassin neutralized the perimeter guards or just avoided them. Even if it’s the former there might be a backup. I’d better get the drapes closed so I can get some light on the subject without alerting anyone. She twitched the curtains closed and started across the room when another thought crossed her mind. She had a potential source of answers right in her bathing room.

“The perimeter guards?” she asked Sicarius.

“Previously eliminated,” was his response.

Well wasn’t that interesting. Judging by his phrasing Sicarius hadn’t been the cause. They really must want her dead rather badly to authorize the sacrifice of that much manpower. She walked over to the table and lit the portable gas light she used as a reading lamp. Then she moved to the body on the floor. As Katerina had suspected it was Mara. That cut down the potential of a backup to almost none. Mara always worked alone.

Katerina examined the body. Mara had been killed instantly by a strange looking black dagger through her eye. Katrina glanced back at the bathing room door. That had been an incredible throw in a low light situation. She also noticed that Sicarius had not moved into the room and the light. He was reluctant to show himself for some reason. She’d have to do something about that. He’d been hard enough to read as a teenager she remembered. Another fifteen years of practice would most likely make it even harder. She really needed to get him where she could see him.

“Nice knife,” she commented as she removed it from Mara’s eye socket. She flipped it lightly to gauge its weight and balance then tossed it in a flat arc toward the bathing room door. He’d have to step out into the light if he wanted to catch it. Apparently the reluctance was not enough to counterbalance his retrieval of what clearly was a unique knife because Sicarius stepped smoothly out of the bathing room door and caught it at waist height.

Oh my, Katerina thought as she covertly glanced at him while searching the body. He’d filled out nicely from the angular teenager she’d worked with before. He was a bit taller now, over 6 foot she estimated. Broader in the shoulder but still on the slender side. His face was still angular, clean shaven and that blond hair was badly cut and somewhat longer. He’d had more of a wiry look to his muscle tone as a teenager. Now, to use the terminology of some of her younger agents, he looked _ripped_. He still had the blank expressionless face and the economy of movement that she remembered.

“You came to retrieve your favor?” she asked as she removed the utility belt from the body searching the pouches to see what was in them.

He was absolutely still as he replied, “Yes.”

Katrina noted this. Not good, she thought. He was most likely here for another reason, maybe even to kill me. Hopefully the favor she had planned would be good enough to allow her to buy her life.

“We can’t talk here,” she noted as she removed Mara’s gear belt then secured it around her hips. Then she divested Mara’s body of weapons which she placed in a convenient table drawer, removed Mara’s boots and positioned the body to look as if she’d been hit by a throw from the sitting room. Katrina looked at the crossbow bolt in the door jam and frowned. She moved the body a bit more. “Toss me that crossbow would you,” she said casually.

Sicarius had not yet moved from the spot where he’d caught the dagger. He’d just stood there watching all her activity without moving a muscle. Thus she was a little surprised when he acceded to her request by crossing to the bed and retrieving the crossbow. He also grabbed the knife that she had tossed on the bed earlier, holding it up with a slightly raised eyebrow. Reading that as a question she shook her head slightly. He nodded and tucked it into his belt as he approached her with the crossbow. He didn’t hand the crossbow to her as she had expected. He looked at the body, then at the door jam and then deliberately placed it where it could have fallen if the kill shot had been thrown from the sitting room door.

One more thing to do to complete the scene, Katerina thought. She removed her ring and placed it on Mara’s finger. She caught an infinitesimal twitch from Sicarius out of the corner of her eye. It was obvious to her that he had recognized it. She mentally filed that bit of information for future reference.

Katrina straightened up from the body, grabbed the boots and went to the armoire. She opened it and swapped Mara’s boots for her own. She paused for a moment and tucked the boots into the utility belt before grabbing the small dispatch box and remote activated incendiary device from the hidden compartment. She turned around and faced Sicarius who was standing just where he’d stopped after placing the crossbow. The only movement he had made was to turn and watch her activities at the armoire. She then snagged her g _o_ pack from under the corner of the bed and placed the dispatch box in it. Once again she caught that Sicarius giving that infinitesimal twitch with her peripheral vision. So he’s interested in the dispatch box, she surmised.

She hitched the _go_ pack onto her shoulders and gestured toward the bathing room door. “Shall we depart?” she asked.

“Yes” he said moving toward the door.

Katrina took one last look around the room. She’d miss this place. She sighed and rolled the globe filled with accelerant portion of the incendiary device across the floor. It came to rest near the body. She looked over at Sicarius to find him watching her.

“Hmph” was the comment he made as he turned and entered the bathing room.

Some ten minutes later they were approaching the stream that marked the edge of the north end of her estate. They had carefully exited her bathing room window and then took turns leapfrogging each other from cover spot to cover spot as they had that night on the Ravencrest estate long ago. Katrina noted that his movements were still smooth and very sensual. Just like the previous time Katrina had to remind herself to keep her mind on business and not think too much about that absolutely gorgeous backside in front of her.

At the stream Katerina put up her hand. She also signed the Mandagorian hunting code for _stop_. She’d seen a report that implied he’d been responsible for the assignation of the Mandagorian high chief and his family some nine years ago. If he’d infiltrated the country the way she thought he had the potential that he knew the signs was quite high.

He made the _question_ sign in return.

Good, Katrerina thought, He does know the code. Excellent. This will make the next bit a lot easier. She pulled out the remote trigger for the incendiary device showing him. He looked at it. If she had to guess he was curious but wasn’t going to ask. She signed _fire_ and then _leave_.

He signed back his assent.

Katerina looked back at the estate house and triggered the device. They were far enough away that no sound reached them but less than a minute later a faint glow could be seen through the upper story window that had been her bedroom. Katerina tossed the now inert trigger into the stream and took off at a lope, heading north with Sicarius at her heels.

Dawn arrived in a brilliant display of reds and oranges. Katrina paused to look at it. Red sky at morning, she thought looking up at the clouds. Odds are there would be a summer storm by mid-day.

She was a bit surprised when Sicarius commented. “A warning for sailors.”

“That obvious huh?” she replied looking straight at him in the early morning light. Ummm he looked absolutely deadly in his black clothing with a collection of various sided daggers sheathed about his person. Katerina had to refrain from licking her lips in appreciation.

“Yes,” was his response as he looked her up and down in return. “My favor?” he finally asked.

Katerina smiled at him “We could talk here but I’d much prefer to get to my bolt hole before the storm arrives,” she offered.

He thought about it for a moment and then grunted “Acceptable.”

Katerina’s legs were tired when they’d reached the small mine she’d set up as a bolt hole for her country house. It had been a while since she’d taken full trail muddling precautions when approaching it and she felt the extra strain. She led Sicarius into up to the mine entrance and unlocked the grate. 50 feet into the mine she slipped sideways into a small crevice and opened the door that lead into her sanctum. She took two strides in, dropped her pack then moved quickly to the side. She really wanted to see Sicarius’ face when she triggered the lights.

That wasn’t what happened. Before she could trigger the science based lighting she was grabbed from behind and felt the blade of a knife at her throat. She didn’t struggle or attempt to use any of her training to escape. Given the muscles she could feel and the position of the knife it would have been useless. She knew what had happened. It was clear that Sicarius had heard or felt her movement and interpreted the dropping the pack as a threat.

“Sicarius” she said, “Is this really necessary?” Her heart was pounding and she struggled to keep her breathing under control.

“Is it?” he questioned back his breath warm on her neck.

“No,” she replied then added, “Would a bit of light convince you?”

“Potentially.”

“I need to move my hands to clap twice to trigger the lights,” she informed him.

“Proceed.”

Katrina clapped her hands sharply then held completely still as the lights slowly brightened revealing the room. It wasn’t much Katrina knew. A bed, a chair, a table, an iron stove for heat, a trunk containing supplies and a hide curtain covering the exit to her water source and the back door. A large bearskin rug was the only concession she had made for comfort over utility.

She felt his chest muscles shift slightly against her back as he looked around. “Where does that lead?” Sicarius asked referring to the hide curtain. He still held the knife at her throat.

“Water source and latrine,” she replied. “It also connects to a natural cave system. There are several exits to the outside as well as one that runs back into the mine. Getting to and from the outside exits that way is quite challenging and you’ll be able to hear anyone coming well before they get here.”

Apparently satisfied with her explanation he released her. He didn’t sheathe the black knife as she stepped away from him. “It seems I’m not the only one with porcupine propensities,” Katrerina commented dryly. “You mind if I make things a little more comfortable in here?”

“No.”

She looked at him and snorted in amusement, “Is that No you don’t want me to move, or No you don’t mind?”

“The later.”

Katrina bustled around the small room lighting the fire, moving her _go_ pack to the table, then rummaging in the trunk for some of the preserved rations she kept there. Sicarius watched her carefully, knife still out and ready. At one point she felt compelled to comment “I don’t remember you being quite so laconic or jumpy fifteen years ago.”

He didn’t reply immediately but finally said “Experience can be a harsh teacher.”

Tasks done Katerina sat down on the bed and asked “So, what favor can I do for you?”

She watched his reaction carefully. Not so much looking at face or body language. Katrerina knew she wouldn’t get much information from those. His control was just too good. No, she surreptitiously watched his hands. She’d learned from Xenon that often those who had the best control tended to forget their hands. Sicarius’ hand that was not holding the black knife was a bit on the tense side. She concluded that he was uncertain for some reason.

He just looked at her for a bit and finally said “the dispatch box.”

Katerina smiled inwardly. She suspected that her response was going to surprise him greatly. “Fine,” she said. “You can have everything in it except for three files. Those I need in case someone doesn’t buy the lovely tableau I left for them.” She noted that the free hand had curled a bit by his side and he was holding the knife just a bit more firmly. He was wondering if he could trust her.

“You would betray your country that easily?”

“No, not really. There is nothing much in terms of state secrets in that box despite the rumors to the contrary,” she replied. “In fact, most of it is information you might find interesting. Some of it was even compiled with exactly this situation in mind,” she added as an afterthought.

One of Sicarius’ eyebrows raised slightly. She was beginning to realize this indicated curiosity. The hands relaxed some. Good he was willing to talk rather than kill her outright.

“I really need to get rid of that box anyway. It’s a science artifact. If anyone but me tries to open it the box and its contents will be turned to slag in a rather violent fashion. I also suspect if a competent practitioner was close enough and knew what to look for they could probably track it.” She stood up and stepped toward the table with her pack. “I suspect you want to have a look at the information first,” she left the rest of the sentence unspoken. He’d get the implication. She was offering the information in exchange for her life and her freedom as well as to satisfy the unspecified _favor_ from all those years ago.

She pulled the box out of the pack, opened it, and removed the papers inside. She set them on the table in two discrete piles, one larger than the other. He spoke again, “You are Argonelle?”

Katerina couldn’t help it, she laughed. It was clear now. He’d been sent to kill Argonelle the head of the Kendorian spy agency and obtain the official dispatch box which allegedly held the most vital secrets of the Kendorian state. It was quite ironic that he had arrived when he did. She turned around and let him see the honest amusement on her face.

“Argonelle was killed last night in a fire at her country residence. Here there is only Katerina.”

He acknowledged her statement with a short jerk of his head and sheathed the black knife.

Phew, she thought, that was close.

As she continued to look at him with a friendly smile on her face, Katerina thought about the changes from the teenager she’d kissed so long ago. Sicarius was clearly more skilled in trade craft and as a fighter than he had been. Judging from the fine lines on his face, his reactions when startled and the look in his eyes there had been very little pleasure and a lot of stress and pain in the intervening years. Katerina suddenly wished that she had not taken the path that duty required fifteen years earlier. If she had gone with her first instinct he might have had another pleasant memory to help through the rough patches. Light and fire, at times the only thing that got her through relatively sane were the good memories. In fact, memories of that long ago kiss had served as her mental lifeline during a particularly nasty interrogation once. Thinking about that incident firmed her decision. If he would let her she would give him another memory to use as a buffer against the insanity that the shadow game often became.

Now how to convince him to accept? The solution was obvious but risky. She would be completely at his mercy. It would be simple for him to capture, interrogate and/or kill her. But, if she were honest with herself she wanted to do this. If she were successful he’d not only be the one with a pleasant memory to get through the hard times.

Katerina pulled off her boots and tossed them into a corner. The gear belt went on the chair back. She placed her obvious weapons on the table and took down her hair. She then moved to stand in the middle of the bearskin rug. Sicarius simply watched her, turning slightly to follow her movements. She hoped he noticed that she was now out of not only arms reach but also out of lunging distance from most anything that could be used as a weapon. To make the point that she was disarmed all the more obvious she proceeded to strip completely, tossing her clothes in the direction of the table. Then she displayed her empty hands, ran them through her hair, and turned slowly around in place. See, absolutely nowhere to hide a weapon now, she thought. She completed the turn. Sicarius was still watching his expression and body language giving no clue as to his thoughts.

He took an audible breath. It was the first indication that she had that he was affected by her actions. “Why?”

“Because I want to,” she replied. “In my experience the ability to take and give pleasure in full knowledge with no ulterior motives is rare indeed.” She held out her hand in invitation.

He considered her for a long moment then he stepped forward, gently took her hand and tugged her into an embrace. She half felt, half heard him murmur “Acceptable” before his mouth found hers in a kiss.

****

Katerina woke up. She was lying on the bearskin rug covered by the blanket from the bed. The lights were off but a single candle was burning on the table providing soft light. It was half consumed. About two hours since it had been lit then she estimated. She sat up and looked around. The larger pile of papers and the dispatch box were gone. So was Sicarius and all of his gear. She hadn’t expected him to leave quite so soon but once she thought a bit she was not surprised. Getting up she walked over to the table. The smaller pile of papers had been moved slightly. Of course he’d read them before he left. Sicarius was too good not to. She didn’t mind. There were some interesting tidbits regarding connections between a Kendorian army general and a Turgonian Admiral in there. The Admiral’s name was Antareck or Antavak if she remembered correctly. There was another smaller folded piece of paper on the table, one corner stuck under the candlestick. She removed it and opened it. The candle provided just enough light to read it. A single sentence, no signature, adorned the page. It simply read _Enjoy your new life_. Katerina smiled. She hoped his memories were as good as hers were.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone is curious the reference to "erkt mahlay" is from Deadly Games pg 252 and the name of the general, "Antavak" is from Conspiracy pg 319.
> 
> As always (with apologies to the Bard):
> 
> If this writer has offended,  
> Think but this and all is mended.  
> That you have but tarried here,  
> While each chapter did appear,  
> And these words upon this theme,  
> Are of no import, only my dream.
> 
> It has been an honor to share my dream with you.
> 
> K2N2


End file.
